Forever Mine
by Gre3nleaf
Summary: "I do not want the life I was born for, I want the life that I choose." Aragorn finds out about his true heritage and thinks he has lost his family.
1. The Truth

**Forever Mine**

 **Well, here's my take on what happened when our beloved Aragorn found out about his true heritage. But instead, we have Eleniel, a young elf who has three older brothers who she adores and thinks the world of. But now, she's going to find out that her's family's been keeping a secret from her and Estel… in the next chapter. ;) This one's about Estel :) Just Estel :)**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I** **own nothing apart from Eleniel (and Feredir). Everything belongs to the amazing J.R.R Tolkein :)**

 **(If you haven't read Rivendell's Star: Eleniel is my OC. She is Lord Elrond's youngest child and Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen and Estel's little sister. For this fic, she is the equivalent of a 17-year-old human, and Estel is 22).**

* * *

"Your name is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and you are Isildur's heir to the throne of Gondor."

Silence overtook Elrond's study as those words left the elf lord's mouth.

Estel – or should they call him Aragorn, now? – stood still and stiff in front of the elf he had known as his father since he was two years old. Elladan and Elrohir stood a little further away. He stared at his father for a moment before glancing behind at his brothers – were they still his brothers? – who didn't look surprised at all. In fact, they looked as if they had been expecting this. So did Glorfindel, the balrog-slayer's blue eyes swimming with guilt and sympathy and love and _worry._ Erestor's expression was easy to read for once; his face showing that he had also known. For how long, Estel didn't know.

The man turned back to his father and shook his head. "What do you mean?" he asked. He had just been called to Elrond's study to discuss an 'important' matter, only to be told _this?_ If he had heard right, and he really hoped he hadn't, then this was a little more than 'important.'

"What I mean, ion, is exactly what I just told you," Elrond said quietly, not wishing to say it again.

Estel's eyes widened. Had he heard correctly?

"No, there- there must be some sort of mistake! I am not a king, Ada! Look at me! A king? And of _Gondor_ no less?" His breaking voice was laced with confusion and anger and sadness. If it was true, then _why hadn't they told him?_

Elrond, eyes welling up with tears, smiled sadly. "There is no mistake, Estel. When you were two years of age, your parents were killed by orcs. Your brothers-"

At this, Estel scoffed, and the twins eyes narrowed behind him.

"-were there too, and they took you here, to Rivendell, where we have looked after you for over twenty years as my son. My _son,_ Estel, remember that. None of this changes-"

"This changes _everything,_ Ada! How can you say it doesn't?"

"Let him speak," Glorfindel spoke up, walking forward to place his hand on the angry man's shoulder. He could feel the muscles tense underneath, but nevertheless Estel turned to look back at Elrond, waiting for him to continue.

The elf lord nodded at the balrog-slayer, before locking his eyes with Estel's. "If you had let me finish, then I was going to say that none of this changes the fact that you will forever be mine. _My_ boy. _My_ son."

"And we are still your brothers," came Elrohir's voice, as he and his twin stepped forward to stand beside the man. He smiled at Estel and wiped away a stray tear from his cheek.

"You are stuck with us forever gwador," Elladan said with a wink, and Estel let out a quiet laugh. It didn't take long for his smile to dissolve though, the frown taking back its place.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said, and if it weren't for the amazing hearing the elves had, they wouldn't have heard it.

Elrond sighed. "We had to keep it a secret from everyone. Enemies were out looking for you – they wanted Isildur's ancestors gone completely - and we believed that Rivendell would be the safest place for you. People soon came to the conclusion that you were dead, which – though it sounds horrible to say – was what we wanted them to believe. If you knew, anyone could have used it against you. Estel, ion nin, you must believe that what we did was for the best."

It took a few seconds, but finally, Estel nodded. "I understand," he said quietly, eyes dropping to stare at his boots. So many thoughts were whirling inside his head… he didn't want this. Not at all.

"What does this all mean?" he asked finally.

"It means that in years to come, when the time is right, you will take your place on the throne of Gondor," Erestor told him.

"What if I don't want that?" Estel challenged, anger beginning to rise up again.

"It is your birth right, Estel," Glorfindel said, "you were born to be king."

At this, the young man snapped. "Maybe so, but I wasn't _raised_ to be one! I was brought up in a beautiful place with an amazing family who I looked up to. I still do! This is the last thing I would wish for, Ada! You do not understand. Not ten minutes ago I was a happy man from Rivendell, and now suddenly I am an unhappy man who is destined to become a king and rule Gondor! I do not _care_ that it is my _birth right._ I do not want the life I was _born for,_ I want the life that I _choose_." And with that, he brushed past his siblings and Glorfindel, and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

A stone flew across the grass as Estel kicked it, another one following in its path.

 _King?_

 _King?!_

It took everything in the young man's power to refrain from breaking down and crying at that very moment. He was a man now; if people saw their lord's son – could he even call himself that any more? – _crying,_ then sure as day they'd ask questions. Hands balled into fists, Estel picked up his pace and jogged over to a small water fountain at the end of the garden. He always came here when he was upset or needed time to think. Listening to the water calmed him, and nobody was allowed in this part of the garden unless it was Elrond, his children, Glorfindel or Erestor, or anyone else he allowed, so there would be no one there but him. Elladan and Elrohir had told him that it had been their mother's favourite place to go, too, and that she had taken Eleniel there alone to spend her last moments on Middle Earth with her when she had been born before sailing to the Undying Lands…

Estel suddenly snapped his head up, the force of it making a few tears roll down his cheeks. He slowed his pace. Eleniel. Did she know about this? Had she known all this time that he was the heir to the throne of Gondor? His sister was currently visiting her grandparents and Arwen in Lothlorien. She had begged to go alone, her being 'old enough to look after herself', but the elleth was only the equivalent of a seventeen-year old human, and Elrond had laughed at the idea. He had instead sent her with Feredir, Glorfindel's second-in-command, and a few other guards just in case.

Estel reached the fountain and sat down, his back to the cold stone and his legs drawn up to his chest.

And finally, he cried.

* * *

Estel didn't know how long he had been sat behind the fountain, but he must have dozed off. Blearily, he blinked his eyes and looked around him. For a moment, the soothing sound of the water had him still lost in his dreams – or had they been nightmares? He couldn't remember – but suddenly, all of what had happened earlier on rushed back into his head and he sat up straight, staring ahead of him.

King.

He _loathed_ the word.

But he didn't feel angry about it anymore. Or upset. All he felt was confusion. He was scared, and there was a huge emptiness inside him that he had never felt before.

"Estel?"

The man let out a soft gasp as his eyes widened and he turned quickly, groaning slightly when it caused a huge wave of dizziness to overcome him. Great. Now he had a headache to pile on top of the list of everything that was going wrong with that day.

"Mhm?" he said quietly once he realised who it was.

It was the twins. Of course it was. Those two would never have left him out here by himself for too long.

"Can we sit?" Elrohir asked, still standing a way off to the fountain; he had been on the receiving end of his younger brother's temper, and although he had had a good talking to afterwards, he didn't fancy being on that end again!

Estel hesitated for a moment. Could they sit? Of course they could – they were his brothers.

Or were they?

"If you want to."

The twins took that as a yes and, without any teasing remark about the state of the man's hair or how he had tear marks streaming down from his eyes, they sat on either side of their brother.

"Why are you upset?" Elladan asked after a while.

Silence.

The twins glanced at each other over the top of his head.

"Why did you run away?"

Silence.

Elrohir shifted into a more comfortable position.

"Do you want to speak to us?"

Silence.

"Estel. We love you so much."

That was all it took for the dam to break. Estel looked at Elladan, a look of such grief and remorse on his face that the older twin felt his own tears brimming in his eyes, and suddenly broke down, launching himself into his brother's arms and crying his broken heart out.

Elrohir smiled sadly, reaching over to rub his hand up and down Estel's back. If he and his brother had had their way, they wouldn't have told the man anything about his true identity or ancestors until he was much older, or not at all, wanting to keep their baby brother their baby brother for a little while longer.

"I don't want it, Dan! I don't want the throne of Gondor!" Estel sobbed into his brother's tunic, his tears soaking right through.

"I know," Elladan said simply, sharing a look with his twin over his brother's shoulder and signalling him to check for anyone who may be listening to their conversation. Estel may know about his heritage, but they didn't need anyone else to. Not yet.

"No, you don't," Estel said, pulling back and looking Elladan in the eye. "You and Ro and Ada and Glorfindel and Erestor _don't_ understand! I don't. Want. To. Be. King. I've told you that I don't care if it's who I was born to be, or that it is my so-called destiny, I can't… I can't just drop my life here in Rivendell for a crown," he finished pointedly. His voice had remained calm the whole time, shuddery breaths escaping him every so often. He turned so that he was facing both of his brothers, and looked at them.

"You know, I have wondered about my true parents ever since I slowly began to realise that I obviously wasn't an elf, and so clearly not Ada's son by blood… and I was so terrified to ask that I never did. I was scared that you'd tell me something like _this!_ A couple of hours ago I was happy, a man who had been adopted by Lord Elrond and come to live in Rivendell. Now, I… I don't even _know_ who I am any-anymore," he hiccupped, salty tears falling yet again.

Both twins placed a hand on their brother's shoulders and looked at him, only seeing the toddler who had come into their family all those years ago.

"Well, luckily for you, _we_ know who you are," Elrohir said with a smile.

Estel blinked. "Who?" he asked quietly.

"You're a dirty, smelly, stubborn human, that's who," Elladan told him.

Estel glared at him, but the twins noticed a spark of light return in his hazel eyes.

"True, Dan, very true," Elrohir said, "but most of all, you are our brother."

Elladan nodded. "You have always been and forever will be just that, gwador. Now, you may have been born to be a king, but that is barely even half of who you are. You are Estel, do you hear me? Estel, the little boy who came into all of our lives twenty years ago, and changed them for eternity. Estel, the mischievous toddler who would hide from Ada when he told you it was time for your bath. Estel, the child who smiled so wide when you held Eleniel for the first time and promised that you would protect her 'for always and forever'. Estel, the stubborn, moody teenager who stole honey cakes with Glorfindel and then blamed it on us when the cook ran after you both. And Estel, the man who has grown into someone we are so, _so_ proud of and honoured to call our little brother. You see, being a king, or even a lord for that matter, is only a title. It is a job, something you have been entrusted to do, but who you are… who you are is so much more, tithen pen. You need to remember that, alright? You need to remember that whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, we will _always_ be here to protect you, and love you. For who you are. Our Estel."

It was safe to say that both Elrohir and Estel were lost for words. The younger twin was sat there, tears streaming down his face at everything his brother had said. It had brought up so many beautiful memories that he would give anything to relive again, and he could see that it had shone a new light on Estel's future in the brightness of his brown eyes.

The young man nodded slowly. "I love you both more than I will ever be able to say," he said.

Elrohir smiled. "Right back at you little brother. Would you like to stay out here a little longer, or should we go and speak to Ada? He has been dreading this day since you were brought to Rivendell. You were, and still are, so innocent, and we all knew what a burden this would be. But we will get through it all together, as a family."

Estel nodded, slowly feeling the emptiness inside his stomach fill. It would take a long time to heal fully, but it was healing, and that was more than he could have asked for at that moment. "Could we stay out here for just a little longer before we go and speak to him? The water… it's nice," he said, leaning back into Elrohir's chest and closing his eyes as his brother's arms wrapped around him. But suddenly, a thought pushed to the front of his mind, and his eyes snapped open again.

"Eleniel," he said, "does she know about this?"

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other and grimaced, before looking down at their sibling.

"No," Elrohir said with a shake of his head. "El was younger than you by human standards when you came to Rivendell, and she's still so young. We never told her – we didn't want to – but we have to now. We will explain everything to her when she returns to Imaldris. But Estel, you know Eleniel; she has more of our Nana in her than she does Ada, and I dread to think about what will happen when we _do_ tell her."

It was true. Eleniel had her father's temper, but also his kind and caring temperament, whereas her mother… she had her mother's _fire_ and her will to take everything way more seriously than it actually was.

And unfortunately for them all, Celebrian's side of her always won.

* * *

 **Elvish used:**

 **Ion - Son**

 **Ada - Dad**

 **Gwador - Brother (by heart)**

 **Ion nin - My son**

 **Elleth - female elf**

 **Tithen pen - Little one**

* * *

 **Well, what do you think of this new story? It won't be long, only one more chapter (Eleniel's chapter, I suppose we should call it XD) which will be up soon since I loved writing this!**

 **I'm actually pretty proud of how Elladan's speech turned out! X'D You were so heart-warming and emotional Dan, well done. *pats back***

 **Anyways. Thank you so much for reading this! If you liked it, please review to tell me what you think, and look forward to a new chapter soon! (: ~ Gre3nleaf**


	2. A Trip to Lothlorien

**Hi! This chapter is just a flashback, so please remember this. I got a bit carried away with it, so decided to put it in its own chapter :) It is basically telling you all what happened before Eleniel went off to Lothlorien, and the next chapter will be her reaction to finding out about Estel… :D Please enjoy!**

* * *

" _Ada, can I visit Daernana, Daerada and Arwen?" Eleniel asked one morning._

 _Elrond looked up from the parchment he was signing and raised an eyebrow at his daughter. She was lying on the couch in his study, her upper body hanging off the end in a very un-elf like way, but they were alone, and so he didn't bother to reprimand her._

" _I have no time to go, Eleniel, look at all this work. Glorfindel could take you, but he undoubtedly has too much to do as well. And your brothers – they have just returned from their patrol and I do not want them going out again so soon," he replied._

" _No," Eleniel said, "by myself. Can I go by myself?"_

 _Elrond's eyebrows shot up higher than Eleniel had ever seen them go as he looked at his daughter, not quite believing what he'd heard. "Alone?" he asked, and a deep chuckle escaped his mouth, "do not be senseless Eleniel."_

 _Eleniel groaned and lifted herself up, laying straight along the couch now. She looked at her father. "I'm not being_ senseless _," she said, "I'll be fine! I've had loads of training, and Lothlorien isn't too far away…"_

" _It is_ very _far away Eleniel."_

" _Okay yes, it is, but I'm perfectly capable of doing it. I can look after myself Ada."_

 _Elrond didn't bother pausing in signing the documents. There was no way on Middle-Earth he was going to agree. "No," he told her simply._

" _Why not?" Eleniel huffed, anger rising in her voice._

 _Elrond raised an eyebrow in warning at his daughter, before laying down the quill and leaning back in his seat, staring intently at the elleth. She was still so young; how could she expect him to let her go by herself? The sight of her sat there with a frown on her face and her blue eyes narrowed into slits was the exact image of a stubborn child who hadn't gotten her way, and so this only added onto the fact that she was too young and certainly_ not _capable of looking after herself!_

" _Eleniel, I will not let you travel to Lothlorien alone. You could be injured, and nobody would ever know about it. You are too young and nothing you say will dissuade me. I will not even apologise, as I have nothing to be sorry for. You are my daughter and I love you – I will not allow this."_

 _The youngest peredhel listened and slowly, her balled fists uncurled and she sighed in defeat. Looking down at her hands, she spoke in a barely audible voice. "I just wanted to see Arwen."_

 _Elrond heard this and closed his eyes, letting out his own sigh. He knew how difficult this was, Eleniel being away from her big sister. He, too, missed his evenstar, but she was happier in Lothlorien than she would have ever been in Imladris. Looking up at the blonde, he leaned forward in his chair and rested his chin in his hands thoughtfully. "What if someone went with you?" he asked._

 _Eleniel shrugged. "Having a group of boring warriors 'protecting' me wouldn't be fun at all Ada. If it comes to that, I'd rather not go."_

" _Boring warriors?" came a new voice, and Eleniel jumped as her eyes darted behind her to the door to her father's study. Glorfindel stood there, arms loaded with stacks of papers, a look of mock-disbelief on his face. "Who are you calling boring?" he asked._

 _Eleniel smiled. "Not you Fin, I promise!"_

 _Glorfindel huffed as he walked over to Elrond's desk and dumped the papers down on it, turning and looking at the young peredhel who was now sitting cross-legged on the couch. He walked over to it and sat next to her before turning and laying down, placing his muddy boots on the elleth's lap._

 _Eleniel made a face and shoved them off, groaning when she saw they had made a small dirty mark on her cream-coloured leggings. "I hate you," she said in annoyance, turning herself around and lying on the balrog-slayer's chest._

 _Glorfindel smirked. "Oh, I love you too," he teased as he poked the elleth in the side, watching as she let out a squeal before pulling her closer to him and resting his chin on her head._

 _Elrond smiled at the scene in front of him before remembering what he and his daughter had been talking about. "As I was saying, iell nin, I was thinking about only sending one warrior with you, not a group. There have not been many orc sightings for a while, and your brothers saw nothing suspicious on their patrol, so I suppose one would be enough."_

 _Eleniel smiled brightly. "Really?" she asked, lifting her head up slightly from the balrog-slayer's muscled chest._

 _Glorfindel frowned. "What's this?"_

" _Ada's letting me go and see Arwen in Lothlorien!"_

" _Ah. That will be nice!"_

 _Eleniel nodded, turning to look at her father, who let out a chuckle. "You should have heard what she asked earlier mellon nin."_

" _And what was that?"_

" _If she could go by herself."_

 _Glorfindel let out a huge laugh which shook Eleniel, and she rolled her eyes as she glared at her father, only getting a wink in return._

" _By herself? Valar Eleniel, have you any common sense at all?"_

 _Eleniel sighed. She was really beginning to get a little upset, what with both her father and Glorfindel more or less telling her she was stupid when all she had wanted to do was prove to her father – but most importantly_ herself _– that she was perfectly capable of not getting eaten by orcs and wargs while travelling to Lothlorien alone._

 _Deciding to completely ignore the balrog-slayer's question, Eleniel began to play with her braid._

 _Glorfindel narrowed his eyes slightly and leaned forward, turning his head to look at the elleth's pitiful face. He put on a smile and blew on her ear, making her flinch away._

" _Stop it," she said._

" _Not until you smile."_

" _Why should I smile when you just insulted me?"_

" _You know I was playing with you."_

" _I do not care."_

" _If you do not smile for me this minute, I swear I will make sure the most boring warrior gets sent with you to Lothlorien."_

 _Eleniel smirked evilly. "But Ada said you can't come as you have too much work to do."_

 _Glorfindel's mouth dropped open and he immediately leaped into warrior mode, growling as he flipped Eleniel over so that she was laying on her stomach on the couch, face pressed into the cushion as her hands were pinned behind her. The balrog-slayer hovered over her, looking down into her laughing blue eyes._

" _Take it back! And smile for me while you are at it."_

" _No!"_

" _Do it."_

" _No!"_

" _Eleniel."_

" _Glorfindel!"_

 _Elrond sat at his desk, rolling his eyes yet smiling at his daughter and best friend. The bond between those two had never failed to make his heart melt, and everyone else's who saw them together._

 _Something caught his attention in the corner of his eye, and the elf lord glanced up to see Feredir at the door. The dark-haired warrior looked at his lord and friend with a smile and entered the room properly when Elrond nodded at him._

 _Feredir walked over to the desk and quirked an eyebrow in the direction of the couch, where Glorfindel was now poking and tickling Eleniel and, finally, getting smiles and laughs out of her. "I tried to knock," he said as he turned back to Elrond, "but I don't think anyone heard me."_

 _Elrond stood up and walked over to the other side of his desk, placing a hand on the warrior's shoulder. "Goheno nin Feredir, I was keeping watch over Glorfindel to ensure he doesn't kill my daughter."_

" _He_ is _killing me! Ahahahada heheHELP!"_

 _Elrond smiled. "I am afraid you're on your own now little warg," he said before turning to look at Feredir. "Was there something you needed mellon nin?"_

 _Feredir nodded. "Yes. I wanted to let you know that I have finished signing those documents and will get someone to give them to you later in the day."_

 _Elrond smiled, glad that all the paperwork he had had to give to Glorfindel and Feredir to sign before they started training the new recruit of elflings in the summer was done. "Thank you, Feredir," he said, patting his friend on the back._

 _The two of them turned at a particularly loud squeal coming from one side of the room. "Alright," the elf lord said, "Glorfindel, you really will end up killing her soon enough."_

 _The balrog-slayer turned his head, a huge grin on his face, before agreeing that enough was enough and sitting back, smirking down at the panting elleth still lying on the sofa, her once neat and tidy blonde hair looking as messy as it could possibly get._

 _Suddenly, Elrond had an idea, and turned to look at Feredir. "Would you mind doing something for me?" he asked._

 _The raven-haired warrior turned to look at his lord. "Of course. What is it?"_

" _Eleniel would like to visit her grandparents and sister in Lothlorien, and I have told her she must have someone going with her. Would you mind if-"_

" _Of course, Elrond, it would be my pleasure," he said with a smile, bowing before turning and walking over to Glorfindel and Eleniel._

 _He reached down and effortlessly picked the protesting elleth up, hoisting her over his shoulder. "Looks like you are going to have me to put up with for a few weeks," he said, walking out of the door and quietly shutting it behind him._

 _Elrond's smile quickly faded, however, as he walked out of the room. He sighed, sitting down with a thump on the chair behind his desk._

 _Glorfindel frowned. "What is it?" he asked._

" _I have asked Feredir to take Eleniel to Lothlorien."_

" _That is good, is it not?"_

 _Elrond nodded. "It is, yes, there is no one besides you that I would trust to take her more than Feredir… it is just that I will miss her, mellon nin. She will be gone for a while and she has never left me for this long before."_

 _A knowing smile on his face, the balrog-slayer stood up from the sofa and walked over to the desk, fixing his braid as he went._

" _Elrond," he said once he reached his lord, "Eleniel is almost an adult, and once she is, and you can no longer tell her what to do and protect her as you would an elfling, she will be going away for far longer than this. Now, you will always be her father, remember that, but she will have much more freedom than she does at the moment. She will not tolerate being treated 'like an elfling', as she continuously informs us."_

 _The Lord of Rivendell nodded, understanding completely but not liking what he heard._

" _I know," he told his friend, "she is growing up. But she will always be my baby, and if she ever forgets that, then I swear to Eru…"_

* * *

 **Elvish used:**

 **Ada – Dad**

 **Daerada – Grandad (Celeborn)**

 **Daernana – Grandma (Galadriel)**

 **Iell nin – My daughter**

 **Mellon nin – My friend**

 **Goheno nin – Forgive me**

* * *

 **Please review! ~ Gre3nleaf**


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